Automatic apparatus for closing the toe of a seamless stocking

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for automatically carrying out toe-closing operation of a plurality of seamless stockings simultaneously by several successive operational steps. The successive steps being carried out with a predetermined time-phase difference between two adjacent steps.

United States Patent Fukuyama Jan. 14, 1975 AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR CLOSING 3,420,196 [/1969 Edwards et a1. 112/121.15 x THE OE O A SEAMLESS STOCKING 3,486,471 12/1069 DeSpain 112/121.15 3,513,792 5/1970 Rossler 1 112/121.15 [75] Inventor: Yosuw ya a, Kashlwara, 3,520,262 7/1970 Bolles et al. 112/121.29 Japan 3,520,454 7/1970 Sactiel 112/121.15 X 3,577,942 5/1971 Hulin 112/121.15 [73] Asslgnee: Mach'nefy Works Ltd-i 3,738,294 6/1973 Christiansen 112/121.15

Yamatotakada-sh1, Nara-ken, Japan [22] Filed: 1973 Primary Examiner--Werner H. Schroeder 21 App] 33 ,253 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns;

Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 5, 1973 Japan 48-13816 57 TR T [52] US. Cl. 112/121.15 Method and apparatus for automatically carrying out [51] Int. Cl. D0511 19/00, D05b 21/00 toe-closing operation of a plurality of seamless stock- [58] Field of Search..... 112/ 121.15, 121.12, 121.11, ings simultaneously by several successive operational 112/121.29, 25, 26, 27; 223/43, 112 steps. The successive steps being carried out with a predetermined time-phase difference between two ad- [561 References Cited jacent steps.

5 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 M975 SHEET 1 (IF 8 AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE TOE OF A SEAMLESS STOCKING SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic method and apparatus uniting the material of a seamless stocking so as to form the toe thereof more particularly relates to an automatic method and apparatus for carrying out the toe-closing operation of a plurality of seamless stockings simultaneously by several successive operational steps which are carried out with a predetermined time-phase difference between two adjacent steps.

It is well known that several automatic apparatus for closing the material at the toe of a seamless stocking have been proposed for practical use in the hosiery industry. The apparatus disclosed in the British Pat. No. 1,201 ,829, is one of them. According to the disclosure of this patent, an operator picks a welt portion of a seamless knitted hose, which is a material for making a stocking, and holds its toe end in front of a suction tube so as to suck the toe end of the material into the suction tube. Then a suction pulse of short durationis released in a pneumatic system whereby the material is sucked into the suction tube, toe end first, while the operator holds the welt end portion of the material. When the material has been sucked into the tube, he draws the material on the tube whereby it is turned inside out. Then the operator pulls the toe end forwards and slides a short toe end portion of the material onto a pair of flat fingers and the short toe end portion is positioned at a predetermined position on the fingers. Next, the toe portion is transferred from the fingers to a clamping device of, a sewing mechanism so as to carry out the toe-closing operation by the sewing mechanism. After completion of the toe-closing operation, the material is sucked into the tube from the closed toe end portion so that the material is reversed to its normal condition, with its outside facing out, and carried away by a suction air current to a successive working station.

Instead of utilizing the above-mentioned sewing mechanism disclosed in the British Pat. No. 1,201,829, a sewing mechanism disclosed in a British Pat No. 1,191,188, can be preferably utilized.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional toeclosing operation, it is necessary to carry out for each piece of the material a cycle of operations of three individual steps comprising: a first step of preparation for transferring the toe end portion of a material to the clamping device of the sewing mechanism; a second step of toe-closing by the sewing mechanism; a third step of carrying the material, which has completed the toe-closing operation, to the successive working station by utilizing a pneumatic conveyor. Consequently, there is a certain upper limit of productivity to such a toeclosing operation. In a standard scale of Japanese mills, it is said that the above-mentioned upper limit is 210 dozen/8 hours.

Recently there has been an increasing tendency for people, mainly women, to wear so-called pantystockings. In the process for producing the pantystocking, several automatic sewing machines for combining a pair of seamless knitted hose materials so as to make a hip portion of the panty-stocking have been developed, and some of them have been applied to practical mill operation. The automatic sewing machine of this type disclosed in the copending US. Pat. Application No. 198,374 is one of these automatic machines. The productivity of this machine is very high, for example, 420 dozens/8 hours, because each step of the sewing operation is carried out automatically. Consequently, this type of automatic machine contributes very much to the rationalization of the panty-stocking manufacturing industry. However, as the toe-closing operation has been carried out by the above-mentioned system in the panty-stocking manufacturing process, there is a definite requirement to increase the level of productivity of the toe-closing operation so as to carry out the process of making the panty-stocking in more rationalized condition with high productivity.

The principal object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem related to the comparatively low productivity of the toe-closing operation in the process for manufacturing the panty-stocking, that is, to provide a method and apparatus for carrying out the toe-closing operation with high productivity.

To attain the above-mentioned purpose, in the method for carrying out the toe-closing operation according to the present invention, the sewing operation to close the toe end portion is carried out by utilizing the above-mentioned well known automatic sewing mechanism, and the preparing step for transferring the toe end portion of each material to the sewing mechanism is carried out by applying a novel method presented by the present invention. Further, a plurality of seamless knitted hose materials are singly subjected to the toe-closing operation at a predetermined time interval and the above-mentioned three individual steps of preparation, closing a toe end portion by the sewing machine and carrying of the materials on which the toe-closing operation has been completed, are carried out, with the above-mentioned time interval, simultaneously on each material while these materials are being transported along a passage for the processing thereof. The above-mentioned three steps may be understood as one-cycle of the toe-closing operation for each seamless knitted hose material. Consequently, in the method for carrying out the toe-closing operation according to the present invention, the one-cycle operations, which include the above-mentioned predetermined time interval, for a plurality of materials are carried out simultaneously while the plurality of materials are being transported along a passage for processing the toe-closing operation. Consequently, the productivity of the toe-closing operation according to the present invention can be elevated by n times the productivity of the conventional toe-closing operation, where the operation is carried out in three non simultaneous individual steps for each material separately, where n represents number of hose materials supplied to the toeclosing operation of the present invention during the same time period which it would take to carry out one cycle of the conventional toe-closing operation.

To satisfy the requirement for carrying out the above-mentioned simultaneous operations of toe closing, particular consideration is paid to carrying out the first step of the one-cycle operation of toe-closing. After extended research upon this problem, a very unique mechanism for carrying out the first step of the one-cycle operation of toe-closing was created. By utilizing this mechanism, the toe-closing operation can be very satisfactorily carried out. For the sake of better understanding, the one-cycle operation of the toeclosing according to the present invention is hereinafter briefly illustrated. l; The first step a. The sub step A:

An operator picks a welt portion of a seamless knitted hose material, which is a material for making a stocking, and holds its toe end in front ofa suction tube so as to suck the toe end of the material into the suction tube. Then the material is sucked into the suction tube, toe end first, while the operator holds the welt end portion of the material.

b. The sub step B:

When the material has been sucked into the tube, the above-mentioned suction is stopped. The welt portion is then manually turned inside-out and drawn over the outside of the suction tube so as to cover it (this position is hereinafter referred to as a rest position), and next the material is automatically further drawn onto the outside of the tube by mechanical drawing-on means, whereby the material is turned inside-out. In this turn-out operation, a toe end portion of the material is brought outside of but not on the suction tube.

0. The sub step C:

A pair of finger pieces are provided which are capable of sliding along the suction tube in such a way that the finger pieces are retracted into a member rigidly supported by the suction tube when it is required, and are capable of spreading laterally when required, are also capable of projecting from said member along a path corresponding to an extension of the longitudinal axis of the suction tube. Said pair of finger pieces are projected from the member along the longitudinal axis of the suction tube, whereby the toe end portion of the material is displaced toward a clamping member of a sewing mechanism while the toe end portion of the material is gradually spread out laterally in accordance with the above-mentioned motions of the finger pieces. 2. The second step I a. The sub step D:

The toe end portion of the material carried by the motion of the finger pieces is transferred to the clamping member of the sewing mechanism and gripped by them without changing the above-mentioned laterally spread out condition thereof, and thereafter, the finger pieces are retracted into their retracted position. During the above-mentioned operation, the welt portion of the material is positioned at its rest position, and the toe portion is gripped by the clamping member of the sewing machine in laterally spread out flat condition.

b. The sub step E:

The sewing machine is actuated so that the toeclosing operation is carried out.

3. The third step a. The sub step F:

After completion of the toe-closing operation, the grip by the clamping member is released so that the toe end portion of the material is released from the grip member. Next, the material is automatically drawn on the outside of suction tube by means of a drawing-on mechanism.

b. The sub step G:

The pneumatic system is actuated to apply a suction force to the suction tube so that the material is sucked into the suction tube in such a way that the closed toe end portion is firstly, sucked into the tube, while the material drawn on the outside of the suction tube is positively undrawn from there by means of a drawing off mechanism. According to this operation, the material is completely drawn off the outside of the suction tube, and then, the material is sucked into the suction tube and carried to the successive working station by the above-mentioned suction force.

The above-mentioned steps of the one-cycle operation are applied to each one of a plurality of materials which are simultaneously subjected to a toe-closing operation with a predetermined time interval between two adjacent sub steps.

To attain the above-mentioned stepwise toe-closing operation, in an automatic toe-closing machine according to the present invention, a plurality of working stations are provided to carry out the above-mentioned plurality of sub steps of the toe-closing operation, and a plurality of members for holding a seamless knitted hose material are provided. The holding member comprises a suction tube connected to a suction source by way of a control valve, a support member rigidly holding the suction tube and a pair of finger pieces capable of sliding along the longitudinal axis of the suction tube in such a way that the finger pieces are retracted into the support member when it is required or projected beyond a free forward end of the support member when it is necessary to carry a toe end portion of the material toward the clamping member of the sewing machanism. The number of working stations in this machine is the same as the number of the holding members. Moreover, certain actuation mechanisms and control mechanisms for carrying out the abovementioned steps of the toe-closing operation are mounted on the toe-closing machine of the present invention.

The stepwise toe-closing operation according to the present invention may be carried out intermittently by stopping the holding member at each working station, or carried out continuously while the holding member is displacing continuously along the working stations. However, as described hereinafter in detail, about the same result can be expected in both of the abovementioned ways of displacing the holding member.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the accompanying drawingsto which the scope of the invention is in no way limited.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the toeclosing machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmental cross-sectional view, of the toe-closing machine, taken along the line ll-Il in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a holding member for holding a seamless knitted hose material, utilized for the toeclosing machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the holding member shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views of the holding member, taken along the line V-V, line VI-VI and line VII-VII in FIG. 3 respectively;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the holding member taken from a direction represented by an arrow X in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a pair of finger pieces utilized for the holding member shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are a plan view and a side view of the holding member shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a step of the motion thereof, respectively;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are a plan view and a side view of the holding member shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a further step of the motion thereof, respectively;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are side view or plan view of a roller mechanism for carrying out the drawing-on or undrawing operation of the seamless knitted hose material onto or from the outside of the holding member respectively,

FIGS. 14A,14B, 14C,14D,14E and 14F are explanatory drawings for illustrating relative holding positions of the seamless knitted hose material with the holding member at each of the steps of the toe-closing operation according to the present invention,

FIG. represents programming charts showing relative motions between main elements of the toe-closing machine shown in FIG. 1, for carrying out the one cycle of the toe-closing operation.

DETAILED ILLUSTRATION OF THE INVENTION In FIGS. 1 and 2 showing an embodiment of the toeclosing machine according to the present invention, a horizontal disc 1 is rigidly supported by a plurality of legs 2. The horizontal disc 1 is provided with an upwardly projected vertical shaft 3 formed at a central portion thereof. The horizontal disc 1 is further provided with a ring shaped horizontal guide 4 formed at the edge portion thereof in coaxial condition with the vertical shaft 3.

A ring shaped horizontal bracket 13 is slidably mounted on the ring shaped horizontal guide 4 in coaxial relationship. The brakcet 13 is provided with an inside cylindrical projection 14. A pair of curved slots 5 and 6 are formed on the horizontal disc 1 along an imaginary circle inside the ring-shaped horizontal guide 4, which is concentric to the vertical shaft 3. The locations of these two slots 5, 6 are hereinafter explained. The slot 5 is connected to a suction tube 52, while the slot 6 is connected to a pneumatic transportation duct 53. The connected position of the slot 5 with the suction pipe 52, and the connected position of the slot 6 with the pneumatic transportation duct 53 are located on the above-mentioned imaginary circle, and the center of the connected portion of the duct 53 with the slot 6 is positioned with 45 angular-phase difference from that of the suction pipe 52 with the slot 5 with respect to the center of the imaginary circle. The center of the imaginary circle coincides with an axis of the vertical shaft 3 and is hereinafter represented by O. A first motor 36 is rigidly mounted on a bracket 7 projected downward from the horizontal disc 1. A pair of horizontal bearings 8, 9 are formed on the horizontal disc 1 at proximate position to the vertical shaft 3. A large pinion 37 is secured to a vertical shaft 38 rotatably supported by the horizontal bearings 8 and 9. The shaft 38 is driven by the motor 36 by way of a pulley 39 rigidly mounted on a motor shaft of the motor 36, an endless belt 40 and a pulley 41 rigidly mounted thereon. A ring-shaped horizontal member 24 is turnably mounted on the horizontal disc 1 in such a way that an internal gear concentrically formed inside thereof meshes with the large pinion 37. Consequently, the driving power of the motor 36 is transmitted to the internal gear 25 of the ring shaped horizontal member 24. The outer circular edge 26 of the ring-shaped horizontal member 24 is slidably engaged with the inside cylindrical projection 14 of the ring-shaped bracket 13.

The ring-shaped bracket 13 is provided with a horizontal bracket 15 extended outside the horizontal disc 1 and the bracket 15 supports a sewing device. The ring shaped horizontal member 24 is provided with eight vertical apertures 27 arranged in radially symmetrical dispositions with 45 angular-phase difference with respect to a central axis 0 thereof which coincides with the central axis of the horizontal disc 1. A bracket 28 provided with a vertical aperture 29 passing therethrough is rigidly mounted at a position of each of the above-mentioned apertures 27 in such a way that the vertical aperture 29 of the bracket 28 just fits to the aperture 27. A portion of a suction tube 56 is rigidly secured into the vertical aperture 29 and is further extended into the vertical aperture 27. To effect the suction force to the suction tube 56 by way of the suction pipe 52 or pneumatic transportation duct 53 in preferable condition, the disposition of the apertures 27 coincide with the imaginary circle whereon the apertures of the curved slots 5 and 6 of the horizontal disc 1 are formed, and it is required to maintain an air tightness in the slidable engagement of the ring-shaped horizontal member 24 with the horizontal disc 1. The bracket 28 is provided with a horizontal hook 30 projected radially outwards from an upper portion thereof.

A horizontal bracket 15 is provided with a bracket 16 projected downward therefrom, a roller 17 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 18 rigidly supported by the bracket 16. The roller 17 is capable of rolling on an arched guide 10 formed on the horizontal disc 1. A vertical shaft 19 is turnably mounted on the bracket 15 at an inside portion thereof, and a hook 20 is secured to an upper end of the shaft 19. The hook 20 extends inwards to a capable position to engage the hook 30 of the bracket 27. A horizontal arm 21 is secured to a lower end of the shaft 19 extended downward from the bracket 15 at the end opposite the hook 20. A spring 22 is mounted on the shaft 19 at a position between the bracket 15 and the hook 21 in such a way that the horizontal arm 20 is always capable of turning to its engageable position with the horizontal arm 30 of the bracket 27. Consequently, when the hook 30 of each bracket 28 engages with the hook 20 according to the turning motion of the ring-shaped horizontal member 24, the horizontal bracket 13 is subjected to turn counterclockwise about the vertical shaft 3 of the horizontal disc 1, in FIG. 1. However, a stopper I1 is rigidly mounted on the horizontal disc 1 at a particular position where the hook 21 engages therewith, and consequently, when the hook 21 engages with the stopper 11 according to the above-mentioned turning displacement of the horizontal bracket 13, the horizontal arm 21, that is, the shaft 19 is forced to turn clockwise by the further displacement of the hook 30 of the bracket 28 which is due to the turning motion of the ringshaped horizontal member 24. Consequently, the engagement of the hook 20 with the hook 30 of the bracket 28 is forced to release. This condition is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1. In this condition, the horizontal bracket 15 is located at a position represented by two-dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. A bracket 12 is secured to a lower surface of the horizontal disc 1. The free end portion of the bracket 12 is located below the horizontal bracket 15. An end of a piston cylinder 42 is pivoted to the free end portion of the bracket 12 and an end of a helical spring 44 is secured to this portion of the bracket 12. An end of a piston rod 43 of the piston cylinder 42 is pivoted to a bracket 23 secured to an under surface of the horizontal bracket 15 and the other end of the spring 44 is secured to the lower portion of the horizontal bracketlS in a little expanded condition. Consequently, when the ring-shaped horizontal member 24 is turned counter-clockwise (in FIG. 1) and the hook. 30 of the bracket 28 engages with the hook 20, then the horizontal bracket 15 turns with the bracket 13 counterclockwise about the vertical shaft 3 of the horizontal disc 1, the spring 44 is further extended and the piston rod 43 of the piston cylinder 42 is pulled out. The piston cylinder 42 is actuated by pneumatic pressure means with a control mechanism (not shown). That is, when the horizontal bracket 15 is turned counterclockwise (FIG. 1) about the vertical shaft 3 so that the piston rod 43 is pulled out, the control mechanism releases an air pressure working on a piston (not shown), and when the engagement of the hook of the bracket 28 with the hook 20 is released and the stopper 11 contacts the horizontal arm 21, the control mechanism actuates to supply compressed air into the piston cylinder 42 so that-the compressed air urges the piston to retract the piston rod 43 inside. The actuation of this control mechanism is carried out by utilizing limit switches (not shown) disposed to the horizontal disc 1 at particular positions represented by radial lines P OP in FIG. 1. In other words, the limit switch disposed at a position represented by the lineOP, works to actuate the control mechanism so as to permit escaping of the compressed air from the piston cylinder 42 while the limit switch disposed at a position represented by the line OP works to actuate the control mechanism so as to supply the compressed air into the piston cylinder 42. Consequently, the return motion of the horizontal bracket from the position represented by two-dot dash line to the original position represented by a solid line in FIG. 1, occurs very quickly without imparting shock to the machine by the motion of the piston rod 43 together with the compression force of the spring 44. A sewing device or mechanism is mounted on the horizontal bracket 15. The sewing device comprises a sewing head 45 and a driving mechanism 46 thereof, a motor 47 for'driving the driving mechanism 46, a belt transmission 48 for transmitting the driving force of the motor 47 tothe driving mechanism 46. A locating device 49 is mounted to the sewing device in such a way that the locating device 49 is capable of displacing in the vertical direction according to an action of a piston cylinder 50 and is turnable according to a frictional driving action by a driving mechanism (not shown) when the locating device 49 is positioned at its working position. A horizontal support member 51 is disposed below the locating device 49 at a particular position where the locating device 49 is displaced to its working position, a toe end portion of a seamless knitted hose material can be stably sandwiched between the locating device 49 and the support member 51. As the mechanism and the function of the sewing device mentioned above is quite similar to the device disclosed in the above-mentioned British Pat. No. 1,191,188, the detailed illustration thereof is omitted.

The most characteristic feature of the toe closer according to the present invention is the abovementioned holding member 55. Therefore, the mechanism and function thereof will be hereinafter illustrated in detail. In this toe closer, eight holding members 55 are utilized. That is, each holding member 55 comprises a suction tube 56 comprising a vertical portion 57 secured to the bracket 28 as already explained, a horizontal portion 58 extended along a radial line from a rotational center 0 of the ring-shaped horizontal member 24, a curved portion 59 between the horizontal portion 58 and the vertical portion 57 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a horizontal upper guide plate 60 secured to the suction tube 56 in such a way that the curved portion 59 passes there-through and the horizontal portion 58 of the suction tube 56 divides the plate 60 into two parallel portions 61 and 62 in such a way that these portions 61, 62 are extended laterally from each outside longitudinal center-line of the horizontal portion 58 of the suction tube 56; a lower horizontal guide plate 63 secured to the horizontal portion 58 of the suction tube 56 in parallel condition to the upper horizontal guide plate 60 with a particular space intervened in such a way that the horizontal portion 58 of the suction tube 56 divides the lower guide plate 63 into two portions 64,- 65 in the same way as the upper guide plate 60; a pair of templates or finger pieces 66, 67 slidably 'disposed inside the intervened space formed between each divided portions 61, 62 of the upper guide plate 60 and the corresponding divided portions 64, 65 of the lower guide plate 63 respectively. Each finger piece 66 or 67 has a symmetrical shape with respect to a longitudinal center line Y of the holding member as shown in FIG. 9, and is provided with a guide member 68 and 69 formed at its tail end. The guide member 68 or 69 is provided with a guide slot lengthwisely formed at the lower side thereof as shown in FIG. 7. The upper horizontal guide plate 60 is provided with a pair of guides 70 vertically projected upwards from both edges of the tail portion thereof as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the longitudinal slots of the guide members 68 and 69 of the finger pieces 66, 67 are slidably engaged with the corresponding guides 70 respectively. These guides 70 are formed in laterally spread-out condition towards the opposite side of the tail end of the horizontal upper guide plate 60 (hereinafter referred to as a forward end of the guide plate 60, and this direction is represented by an arrow X in FIG. 4). Consequently, the finger pieces 66 and 67 can be projected from the forward end of the guide plate 60 in laterally spreading out condition by displacing the guide members 68, 69 toward the forward end of the guide plate 60, and the finger pieces 66 and 67 can be retracted into the intermediate spaces between the horizontal upper guide plate 60 and the horizontal lower guide plate 63 by displacing the guide members 68, 69 toward the tail end of the guide plate 60. Each guide member 68 (69) is provided with a downward projection 71 (72) and a vertical rod 73 (74) is pivoted by a pin 75 (76). The vertical rods 73 and 74 are tumably connected by a pivot pin 77. The above-mentioned displacements of the finger pieces 66, 67 can be conducted by utilizing a cam means or piston means. That is, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pneumatic piston cylinder 31 is rigidly mounted on the horizontal disc 1 so as to push the pivot pin 77 of the holding member 55. The stroke of a piston rod of the piston cylinder 31 is determined so as to project the finger pieces 66, 67 to a position outside the forward end of the horizontal guide plate 60 as shown in FIGS. 10A and 103. This position is hereinafter referred to as a first position of displacement. A curved horizontal cam plate 32 is also mounted on the horizontal disc 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cam 9 plate 32 is provided with a cam profile by which the pivot pin 77 is pushed toward the forward end of the horizontal guide plate 60 according to the counterclockwise displacement of the holding member 55 after the pivot pin 77 is displaced to the first position by the action of the piston cylinder 31. According to the action of the cam plate 32, the finger pieces 66, 67 are displaced from the first position to the position shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B. This position is hereinafter referred to as a second position of displacement. Another pneumatic piston cylinder 33 is rigidly mounted on the horizontal disc 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A hook member 34 is secured to a free end portion of a piston rod 35 of the piston cylinder 33. The hook member 34, which ispreviously positioned at a most outside position thereof before the holding member 55 arrives at a position thereabove, can be engaged with the pivot pin 77 of the holding member 55 and the pivot pin 77 is displaced toward the tail end of the horizontal upper guide plate 60 by a return motion of the piston rod 35 into the piston cylinder 33.

As already explained, in the toe-closing operation according to the present invention, a seamless knitted hose material is firstly sucked into the suction tube 56 while a welt portion of the material is put on the holding member 55 and then the material is turned insideout. Next a toe end portion of the material is spread out laterally by a pair of finger pieces 66, 67, and then the material is transferred to a clamping member of the sewing device. After completion of the toe-closing operation, the toe endportion of the material is released from the clamping member of the sewing device and then the material is turned again so that the outside faces out. To carry out the above-mentioned turning inside-out and outside-out operations of the hose material the drawing-on operation of the material on the holding member and the drawing-off operation of the material from the holding member 55 are very delicate and necessary operations for carrying out the automatic toe-closing operation. Consequently, very a unique mechanism to carry out the above-mentioned operations has beenused in the toe closer of the present invention. In FIGS. 1 and 2, these mechanisms are provided with a pair of rollers 79 which are positioned below a circular passage of the holding member 55 and the above-mentioned drawing-on motion or drawingoff motion is carried out by urging these rollers 79 to the lower guide plate 63 of each holding member 55 while rotating these rollers 79. The rotational direction of these rollers 79 is decided according to the drawing on motion or drawing-off motion. The detailed construction and function of these mechanisms are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. As already explained, the mechanisms 80, 82 for the drawing-on motion is quite same as the mechanism 81 for drawing-off motion, consequently, the former mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 2 is hereinafter illustrated. In FIGS. 13, 14, a vertical bracket 83 is secured to the ring shaped horizontal bracket 13, and a horizontal shaft 84 is rigidly supported at a top portion of the vertical bracket 83. A two-fork bracket 85 is turnably supported by the horizontal shaft 84 and a horizontal shaft 86 is turnably supported by the bracket 85. A pair of rollers 79 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 86. The horizontal bracket 85 is provided with an inside lever 87 extended inwardly from the shaft 84. An end of the inside lever 87 is pivoted to a free end of a piston rod 89 of a pneumatic piston cylinder 88 secured to the ring-shaped horizontal bracket 13. A small motor 90 is rigidly mounted on the horizontal bracket 13 in such a way that a motor shaft of the small motor 90 is positioned along an imaginary extended axis of the horizontal shaft 84. A pulley 91 is rigidly mounted on the motor shaft of the motor 90 and the driving force is transmitted to the shaft 86 by way of the pulley 91 and a pulley 92 rigidly mounted on the shaft 86 and an endless belt 93. In the above-mentioned mechanism, as the motor 90 is always running, the rollers 79 are always running. When it is required to carry out the drawing-on operation, the piston cylinder 88 is actuated so as to retract the piston rod 89 into the piston cylinder 88. According to the above-mentioned motion of the piston rod 89, the bracket is turned clockwise so that the running roller 79 is displaced from a position represented by a solid line to a position represented by a dot-dash line in FIG. 11. Consequently, the running rollers 79 are urged to the lower guide plate 63 and the drawing-on operation is carried out. In this operation, the rollers 79 are rotated clockwise. On the other hand, when the drawing-off operation by the rollers 79 is required, the rollers 79 are rotated counterclockwise (in FIG. 11).

In the practical mill operation, the holding member 55 is displaced along its circular passage above the ring shaped horizontal bracket 13 in FIG. 1, it is required to carry out the drawing-on or drawing-off operation of the material upon the holding member 55 simultaneously with the turning displacement of the holding member 55 about the central turning axis thereof. This requirement can be attained by synchronous angular displacement of the ring-shaped horizontal bracket 13 in the counterclockwise direction. However, during the return motion of the horizontal bracket 15 to its original rest position, as the drawing-on operation or drawing-off operation has been completed before the abovementioned return motion, the pneumatic piston cylinder is actuated so as to project the piston rod 89 upward, in other words, the rollers 79 are displaced from their position represented by a dot-dash line to their position represented by a solid line, and therefore the above-mentioned return motion of the horizontal bracket 15 can be carried out without any influence upon the above-mentioned drawing-on or drawing-off operation.

In the toe closer hereinberfore illustrated, eight holding members 55 are symmetrically mounted to the ringshaped horizontal member 24 with respect to the rotational center of the member 24. Consequently, these holding members 55 are arranged radially with a constant radial phase difference of 45.

The toe-closing operation utilizing the toe closer shown in FIG. 1 is hereinafter illustrated in detail. For the sake of better understanding, one cycle of the toeclosing operation for a seamless knitted hose material is firstly explained. The drawings shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E and 14F illustrate the steps of this one-cycle operation, wherein a seamless knitted hose material is sucked into the suction tube 56 of the holding member 55, and the material is turned inside-out, the toe end portion of the material is closed by the sewing operation, and next the material is turned again so as to be outside-out and carried to the successive working station by pneumatic transportation. The abovementioned steps are hereinafter illustrated in detail.

The First Step As shown in FIG. 14A, an operator picks a welt portion of a seamless stockingmaterial K,,, and holds its toe end -in front of the .suction tube 56 of the holding member 55 so as to suck the toe end of the material into the suction tube. Then a suction force is applied into the suction tube 56 by actuating a pneumatic system whereby the seamless material is sucked into the suction tube 56, toe end first, while the operator holds the welt end portion of the material K,,. This operation is carried out during the turning displacement of the holding member 55 from the OP line to the OP, line in FIG. 1. During this operation, a lowerside aperture of the suction tube 56 is connected to an upperside aperture of the suction pipe 52 via the slots in air-tight condition. Consequently, the suction force can be applied into the suction tube 56 by actuation of the suction system which is connected to the suction pipe 52, during a period when the holding member 55 is displaced from the position 0P to the position 0P I The Second Step Upon turning the holding member 55 from the portion OP to a position 0P thesuction tube 56 is disconnected with the suction pipe 52. Consequently, the suction force applied in the suction tube 56 is released. In this condition, the operator puts the welt portion of the material K upon a free end portion of the holding member 55 in such a way that the welt portion partly covers the guide plates 60 and 63 and the horizontal portion 58 of the suction tube 56 as shown in FIG. 148. Just after completion of this manual operation, the piston cylinder 88 is actuated so asto retract the piston rod 89 downwards, and consequently, the rotating rollers 79 are pushed upward. According to the upward displacement of the rotating rollers 79, the rollers 79 is urged to the underside surface of the lower horizontal guide plate 63, via the welt portion of the material K so that the material if further drawn on the holding member 55. According to the above-mentioned operation, the material is turned inside-out.

Just before completion of the above-mentioned draw up operation, the operator holds a toe end portion K outside the holding member 55. Next the pneumatic piston cylinder 31 is actuated so as to displace the finger pieces 66, 67 to the above-mentioned first position shown in FIGS. A, 14C. According to this motion, the toe end portion K of the material K is held by the finger pieces 66, 67 in laterally spread out condition. If the position of the toe end portion K, on the finger pieces 66, 67 is incorrect, the operator adjusts the position manually.

This holding disposition of the toe end portion K upon the finger pieces 66,67 is shown in FIG. 14C.

The Third Step During the angular displacement of the holding member 55 from the position 0P to a position 0P the pivot pin 77 is displaced outward by the action of the curved cam plate 32. Consequently, the finger pieces 66, 67 are projected from the guide plates 60 and 63 outward while these finger pieces 66 and 67 are laterally spread out. Consequently the toe end portion K held by the finger pieces 66, 67 is also laterally spread out and carried toward the outside of the guide plates 60 and 63. During the above-mentioned operation, the holding position of the toe end portion K, on the finger pieces 66, 67 can be maintained stably because of. the lateral spreading out motion of the finger pieces 66, 67.

Consequently, the toe end portion K is maintained in flatly-spread out condition as shown in FIG. 14D.

The Fourth Step When the holding member 55 is displaced to a position OP, from the position 0P the hook 30' of the bracket 28 engages the hook 20 mounted on the ringshaped horizontal bracket 13, so that the bracket 13 is turned together with the horizontal bracket 15 about the center 0. At the position 0P the locating device 49 is positioned at its elevated rest position as shown in FIG. 2, and consequently, the toe end portion K held by the finger pieces 66, 67 is inserted into a space between the locating device 49 and the horizontal support member 51. Then the pneumatic piston cylinder 50 is actuated to move the locating device 49 downwards so that the toe end portion K and the finger pieces 66, 67 are gripped by urging the locating device 49 to the horizontal support member 51. In this condition, the pneumatic piston cylinder 33 is actuated so as to retract the piston rod 35 whereby the hook member 34 pulls the pivot pin 77 towards the center 0. Consequently, the finger'pieces 66, 67 are retracted into the space formed by the guide plates and 63 while the toe end portion K is held by the gripping of the locating device 49 with the horizontal support member 51. In this condition, the welt portion K of the material is still held by the holding member 55. This holding condition of the seamless stocking material is shown in FIG. 14E.

The Fifth Step During a period when the holding member 55 is displaced from the position OP, to a position 0P the horizontal bracket 15 is also turning displaced together with the holding member 55, and the sewing device is actuated, consequently, the toe end portion K of the seamless stocking material is closed. During the abovementioned toe-closing operation, the outside toe end portion K, from a line h-h in FIG. 14E is gripped in laterally spread-out flattened condition by the locating device 49 and the supporting member 51, and this portion is sewed along a dash-dot-line S by the sewing device. After completion of the above-mentioned sewing operation, the pneumatic piston cylinder 50 is actuated so that the locating device 49 is displaced upward, the closed toe end portion K, hangsfrom the forward end of the holding member 55 in relaxed condition.

When the holding member 55 comes to a position 0P the horizontal arm 21 of the hook 20 contacts to the stopper 11, so that the hook 20 is forced to turn clockwise about the shaft 19 while overcoming the resilient force of the spring 22, so that the engagement of the hook 20 with the hook 30 of the bracket 28 is released. At this moment, the pneumatic piston cylinder 42 is actuated so as to retract the piston rod 43 into the piston cylinder 42, and the horizontal bracket 15 is returned to its rest position represented by the solid line in FIG. I. As already explained, the springs 44 works to assist the above-mentioned return motion of the horizontal bracket 15. ln'the above-mentioned embodiment, the angular displacement about the center 0 between the line OP, and the line 0?, is 45, and eight holding members 55 are symmetrically mounted on the ring-shaped member 24 about the center 0 with 45 angular-phase difference. Consequently, at each 45 turning motiion of the horizontal bracket 15 about the center 0, the horizontal bracket 15 is displaced from the position OP, to the position CP and when the horizontal bracket 15 has arrived at the position P the bracket is quickly returned to its rest position represented by the solid line.

This 45 angular displacement of the horizontal bracket 15 creates the same 45 angular displacement of the ring-shaped horizontal bracket 13 in the counterclockwise direction and 45 quick return motion. Consequently, the drawing-on and drawing-off mechanisms 81, 82 and 83 are provided with the same reciprocal angular displacement about the center 0 in FIG. 1 as the horizontal bracket 15.

The Sixth Step During the annular displacement of the holding member 55 from the position 0P to the position 0P the closed toe end portion K is maintained in hanging condition from the forward end of the holding member 55, and when the holding member 55 arrives at the position 0P the rollers 79 of the drawing-on mechanism are displaced upwards by the action of the pneumatic piston cylinder 88 so that the rotating rollers 79 are urged to the lower horizontal guide plate 63 via the welt portion K of the seamless stocking material covering the holding member 55. As the rollers 79 are rotating in clockwise adirection in FIG. 12, the hanging portion of the material is drawn on to the holding member 55. This drawing-on motion is carried out until the after displacing the rollers of the mechanisms 80, 81

and 82 downward so as to separate from the holding member 55 by actuating the pneumatic piston cylinder 88 as shown in the solid line in FIG. 12.

The Seventh Step Upon the arrival of the holding member 55 at an angular position 0P the drawing-off rollers 79 are urged to the lower horizontal guide plate 63 of the holding member 55 by the action of the pneumatic piston cylinder 88. As the rollers 79 are normally rotating counterclockwise in FIG. 12, the material K held by the holding member 55 is drawn off from the member 55 until the holding member 55 has arrived at an angular position 0P However, in this position, as the suction tube 56 is connected to the aperture of the pneumatic transportionation duct 53 by way of the slot 6, the seamless stocking material K, is sucked into the suction tube 56, the toe end portion K, first. Consequently, the seamless stocking material K, is again turned outside-out by this suction into the suction tube 56, and then carried to the downstream working station by a suction air stream in the duct 53.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, it is preferable to arrange the above-mentioned angular positions 0P 0P 0P 0P 0P O1, and 0?, in symmetrical angu lar dispositions about the center 0 with 45 angularphase difference between two adjacent angular positions. Further, in the toe closer shown in FIG. I, eight holding members 55 are mounted on the ring-shaped horizontal member 24 in symmetrical angular disposition about the center 0 with 45 angular-phase difference between two adjacent members 55, the abovementioned steps of toe-closing operation for eight holding members 55 are carried out simultaneously with a phase difference corresponding to a time required for angular displacement of thereof, respectively. Consequently, supposing that a time required for completion the above-mentioned one-cycle motion is T minutes, a seamless stocking material completing the above-mentioned toe-closing operation can be produced every T/8 minutes. Consequently, it will be realized that the productivity of the toe-closing operation is improved very much by applying the present invention.

As the toe-closing operation for eight holding members are carried out with the angular phase difference of 45 between two adjacent holding members 55, it is required to control the relative motion of the moving elements of the machine precisely. However, according to the application of the latest automation technology utilizing limit switchs and control valves for pneumatic equipment having high accuracy, a control program shown in FIG. 15 can be applied in a satisfactory manner for carrying out the above-mentioned toeclosing operation. For example, the motion of the pneumatic piston cylinder can be easily and precisely carried out by actuation of a directional valve or a stop valve according to the above-mentioned control program. As the control programming chart shown in FIG. 15 is applied for every holding member 55, the complete control programming chart for carrying out the toe-closing operation by the toe closer shown in FIG. 1 must combine eight of the charts shown in FIG. 15 with the angular phase difference of 45 between two adjacent holding members 55. In the chart shown in FIG. 15, [0] represents non action, [1] represents action. However, in the programming chart related to the finger pieces 66, 67, [1] represents the first displacement to the first position and [2] represents the second displacement to the second position, respectively.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, eight holding members 55 are utilized, however, the number of the holding members 55 may be changed for changing to a pertinent production rate.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, every step of the toe-closing operation is carried out while the holding member 55 is angularly displacing about the center 0. However, it is also possible to carry out the steps of toe-closing operation by temporarily stopping the holding member 55 at working stations represented by the angular dispositions, 0P 0P 0P 0P 0P OP 0?, and 0P respectively. In this case, the time duration of the above-mentioned stopping the holding member 55 must be a predetermined constant time; It can be understood that the construction of the toe closer according to the latter discontinuous condition is more simple in comparison with the toe closer shown in FIG. 1, because the omission of the mechanism for synchronously displacing the drawing-on mechanism, drawing-off mechanism and the sewing device to the angular displacement of the holding membersv However, the productivity of the toe closer provided with discontinuous displacing mechanism is lowered in comparison with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus having a sewing device for closing an open toe-end portion of a seamless, knitted hose and clamping means for temporarily clamping and holding the open toe-end portion of individual, successive hose for closing by said sewing device, the improvement which comprises: a plurality of angularly spaced holding devices for individually holding thereon open toe hose for sewing and closing an open toe-end portion thereof, each holding device having a suction tube extending therethrough, mounting means mounting said holding devices angularly spaced radially about an axis and for rotating them in fixed relative positions about said axis, suctionapplying means for selectively applying a suction to the individual suction tubes of said holding devices for drawing the open-toe-end portion of individual hose thereinto, each holding device having surfaces over which the invidvidual hose are drawn longitudinally inside-out after being sucked into said suction tube thereof, reversible drawing on and drawing-off means actuated automatically for drawing-on the hose insideout over said surfaces with open toe-end portion disvice for automatically stretching the hose open toe-end portion thereof laterally of said surfaces of the corresponding holding device for clamping thereof in said stretched condition by said clamping means.

3. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus according to claim 2, in which said stretching means comprises a pair of fingers slidable relative to said surfaces on a corresponding holding device in a direction toward a free end of the corresponding device, and means for spreading out the fingers while internally of an open toe-end portion of ahose on the corresponding holding device.

4. In an automatic toe closing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said suction-applying means comprises a source of suction with which the suction tubes of the holding devices are successively automatically placed in communication with when rotated into registry with a given position in which said suction means is disposed.

5. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said drawing-on and drawing off means comprises a plurality of pairs of reversibly driven rollers, means for actuating said rollers into contact with underside surfaces opposite to the surfaces over which said hose thereon are disposed and means for rotating the rollers for drawing-on and for drawing-off said socks in dependence upon an indexv station at which the corresponding holding devices are disposed successively. 

1. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus having a sewing device for closing an open toe-end portion of a seamless, knitted hose and clamping means for temporarily clamping and holding the open toe-end portion of individual, successive hose for closing by said sewing device, the improvement which comprises: a plurality of angularly spaced holding devices for individually holding thereon open toe hose for sewing and closing an open toe-end portion thereof, each holding device having a suction tube extending therethrough, mounting means mounting said holding devices angularly spaced radially about an axis and for rotating them in fixed relative positions about said axis, suctionapplying means for selectively applying a suction to the individual suction tubes of said holding devices for drawing the open-toe-end portion of individual hose thereinto, each holding device having surfaces over which the invidvidual hose are drawn longitudinally inside-out after being sucked into said suction tube thereof, reversible drawing on and drawing-off means actuated automatically for drawing-on the hose inside-out over said surfaces with open toe-end portion disposed on a free end of corresponding holding device and for later drawing-off the hose from said surfaces by everting them after the open toe-end position is closed, drive means driving said mounting means rotationally about said axis to index and successively position the holding devices with a hose inside-out thereon with said open toe-end portion thereof extending therefrom for clamping thereof by said clamping means while sewn closEd by said sewing device.
 2. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus according to claim 1, including stretching means on each holding device for automatically stretching the hose open toe-end portion thereof laterally of said surfaces of the corresponding holding device for clamping thereof in said stretched condition by said clamping means.
 3. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus according to claim 2, in which said stretching means comprises a pair of fingers slidable relative to said surfaces on a corresponding holding device in a direction toward a free end of the corresponding device, and means for spreading out the fingers while internally of an open toe-end portion of a hose on the corresponding holding device.
 4. In an automatic toe closing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said suction-applying means comprises a source of suction with which the suction tubes of the holding devices are successively automatically placed in communication with when rotated into registry with a given position in which said suction means is disposed.
 5. In an automatic toe-closing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said drawing-on and drawing off means comprises a plurality of pairs of reversibly driven rollers, means for actuating said rollers into contact with underside surfaces opposite to the surfaces over which said hose thereon are disposed and means for rotating the rollers for drawing-on and for drawing-off said socks in dependence upon an index station at which the corresponding holding devices are disposed successively. 